


Long Time Gone

by Brumeier



Series: Learning the Ropes [3]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Community: mcsheplets, M/M, Missing in Action, Reunions, Team Feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-28
Updated: 2017-06-28
Packaged: 2018-11-20 16:08:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11338815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brumeier/pseuds/Brumeier
Summary: When a missing team member unexpectedly dials Atlantis, Nora helps run through the verification process to make sure he really is who he says he is.





	Long Time Gone

**Author's Note:**

> McSheplet’s prompt #257: Unscheduled Offworld Activation

“Unscheduled offworld activation!”

A team of Marines, led by Major Teldy, appeared in the Gate Room. Nora initiated the iris and checked for an incoming IDC. Then she checked it again, her heart pounding in her ears.

“It’s Dr. McKay’s IDC!”

That drew a crowd around Nora’s console, which was no surprise. Dr. McKay had been missing – and presumed dead by some – for over a month.

“If he still has his GDO maybe he still has his radio,” Amelia said.

Nora nodded and activated the radio, keeping it on speaker at her console so that Amelia, Mr. Woolsey, and Isaac could listen in.

“This is Atlantis. Please identify.” Nora worried her bottom lip with her teeth, waiting anxiously for a response, but there wasn’t one. “I repeat, this is Atlantis. Please identify.”

“We should call Colonel Sheppard,” Isaac said. Mr. Woolsey disagreed.

“He’s been through enough. Until we know for sure we keep this as contained as possible.”

Nora was with him on that one. The Colonel had been in a state ever since the Hive ship blew up and his team came back less one man. He’d insisted on going back, on checking every planet in the vicinity in case Dr. McKay had crash-landed on one of them.

_He told me he had a way out, Richard! He wouldn’t have lied about that!_

Unfortunately, only a few days into his search Colonel Sheppard’s team was ambushed, and he sustained serious injuries. He’d been stuck in the infirmary ever since while Teyla and Ronon continued to go out and search.

There was no response to any of Nora’s hails through the Gate.

“That answers the radio question, I believe,” Mr. Woolsey said. “I don’t –”

There was a thud against the iris and Nora jerked in her chair. She dimly heard Amelia gasp behind her. Oh, sweet Lord! Had Dr. McKay just…

There were more thuds, and Mr. Woolsey ordered Nora to shut the Gate down, but she’d already picked out a pattern, and she held up her hand. 

“Wait,” she said. More thuds, and she could feel herself grinning like a fool. “It’s Morse code! He’s using Morse code!”

“What’s he saying?” Mr. Woolsey asked.

_Send. Radio. Verify._

“He wants an earpiece. So he can talk to us.”

“Do it.”

Nora shut down the wormhole and Amelia grabbed a spare earpiece, which she tossed to Major Teldy. The incoming Gate address had already been logged in, so all Nora had to do was essentially hit redial. The wormhole engaged, Major Teldy threw the earpiece into it, and then they waited.

_Atlantis, this is Dr. Rodney McKay._

A cheer went up but Mr. Woolsey shushed everyone. “Dr. McKay, we need to verify your identity.”

_Make it snappy, Richard._

Nora grinned. It certainly sounded like Dr. McKay. She hastily called up the list of verification questions on her data pad.

“Date of birth?”

_April 18, 1968._

“Family contact?”

_Jeannie McKay Miller._

“524,287?”

_Mersenne Prime. Can we speed this up? Lemon. Nobel Prize. 42. Ray K. Pluto is a planet. Recipient of the –_

“Rodney?”

Nora looked up to see that Colonel Sheppard had come into the Gate Room, leaning heavily on his crutches. Teyla and Ronon were on either side of him like an honor guard.

There was a long pause over the radio and Nora was about to check the connection when Dr. McKay started talking again.

_John? You’re…I thought, when the ship blew up…_

“Let him through,” Colonel Sheppard said, turning to look up at the control room. “Richard, it’s Rodney. I’m verifying.”

“He could be under duress, Colonel.”

“Rodney, are you under duress?”

_No, but I’m in dire need of a shower and a real bed. Uh…I should probably point out that I’m not alone._

“Dr. McKay,” Mr. Woolsey said. “We can’t allow you to –”

_It’s Ford._

Nora looked over her shoulder at Amelia, who looked back at her with wide eyes. She’d heard a little about Lieutenant Ford. He’d been Colonel Sheppard’s 2IC during the first year of the expedition, and then he’d gotten hooked on Wraith enzyme like some kind of drug addict and was on the run in Pegasus, dodging all attempts to bring him back home. Nora had been warned not to ask Colonel Sheppard about it.

“That’s gotta be one hell of a story, buddy.”

_He’s clean. And he helped keep me alive. Tell the jarheads to stand down, John. I made a promise._

“We’re under no obligation to honor that promise, Dr. McKay,” Mr. Woolsey said.

“You have my word,” Colonel Sheppard replied at the same time.

Amelia’s soft _uh oh_ almost went unnoticed.

Colonel Sheppard swung himself over to the bottom of the stairs and glared up at Mr. Woolsey.

“We’re bringing them in, Richard.”

“Colonel –”

“No. These are my people. If Rodney trusts Ford then so do I.”

Teyla stepped forward. “And I as well.”

Everyone looked at Ronon, who shrugged nonchalantly. “Just keep him away from my food.”

It was back to Colonel Sheppard and Mr. Woolsey, who had a silent stand-off. Nora didn’t know what the Colonel would do if Dr. McKay was denied re-admittance to Atlantis. It had been hard enough losing their CSO, but if the Colonel left as well it might be disastrous.

Mr. Woolsey sighed. “I’m holding you responsible if anything goes wrong. I want full medical and psychological workups on both men.”

Amelia slipped back to her console and Nora could hear her quietly notifying Drs. Keller and Ramesh.

“Rodney,” Colonel Sheppard said, moving back towards the Gate. “Come on home.”

_We’re ready. Shut it down._

Nora shut the Gate down so that Dr. McKay could redial and come through the wormhole. Not for the first time she thought the one-way directional travel was inconvenient. If they could get radio transmissions to go both ways, why not people as well?

The wormhole reinitiated and Nora made sure she was still reading Dr. McKay’s IDC before she de-activated the iris.

“Dr. McKay, you and Lieutenant Ford are cleared for return.”

_Finally._

The wormhole rippled and shimmered, and then Dr. McKay stepped through. He was still wearing his uniform jacket, but there rest of his clothes looked like castoffs from several different native villages. He was a little too thin but looked otherwise healthy. 

Before Dr. Keller and her team could intercept him, Dr. McKay was hugging Colonel Sheppard, both hands fisted in the back of the Colonel’s shirt. The crutches clattered to the floor as the Colonel hugged him back. Teyla and Ronon got in on the act, a group hug that had Nora’s throat tight and her eyes filling with tears.

Atlantis wasn't just a posting. It was a family. Amelia reached across her console and covered Nora’s hand with her own. Nora let out a shuddering breath, doing her best not to cry.

The wormhole rippled again and Lieutenant Ford stepped through. He didn’t look anything like Nora was expecting. Half his face was normal and surprisingly youthful, the other half kind of withered with the skin looking almost melted. The eye on that side was completely black.

“Aiden. It is good to see you again.” Teyla broke away from her team and embraced Ford. Pretty nice considering what he did to her the last time they met.

“I don’t deserve that,” he said, echoing Nora’s thoughts. “But thanks.”

Mr. Woolsey descended the stairs. “Dr. McKay, it’s good to have you back. I expect a full briefing, once you have your health checkups. Mr. Ford, you will have an armed escort until I’m satisfied that you pose no danger to my people or this city.”

“Richard,” Dr. McKay started to protest but Colonel Sheppard cut him off.

“He’s right, Rodney. It’s protocol.” The Colonel didn’t fully let go of Dr. McKay when he turned and offered Lieutenant Ford his hand. “It’s nice to have you back.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

Dr. McKay left the Gate Room with one arm around Colonel Sheppard, supporting his weight as they headed to the infirmary. Ronon gathered up the discarded crutches, and Teyla followed along behind, her arm looped through Lieutenant Ford’s.

“So what the hell did you do to yourself this time, Sheppard? I swear I can’t leave you alone for a second.”

Rodney’s voice carried back to the Gate Room and Nora smiled. It was nice to have everyone safely back home again.

**Author's Note:**

>  **AN:** When I saw this prompt, the story kind of fell into my fic brain fully formed. I love when that happens! It’s fun approaching Atlantis from Nora’s perspective, and seeing what kind of protocols might be in place to handle the variety of situations they encounter on a semi-regular basis.


End file.
